Mini-Tyrannosaurus fossil sets scientists a 40-million-year poser

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The fossilised bones of the dinosaur, named Eoabelisaurus mefiDIEGO POL

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A drawing of the dinosaur, which lived 170 million years agoJorge Gonzalez

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Paleontologists work on the bones at Condor Hill, Chubut, southwest of Buenos AiresDIEGO POL

Lucinda Beaman

Last updated at 2:10AM, May 25 2012

Palaeontologists in Argentina have discovered the near-complete remains of a
new species of Jurassic-era dinosaur, similar to a scaled-down version of
the Tyrannosaurus rex but with even smaller arms.

The new species, called Eoabelisaurus mefi, belongs to the Abelisaurus
family, the most common carnivorous species in the southern hemisphere
during the Cretaceous Period, 70 to 100 million years ago, said Diego Pol, a
palaeontologist who was among the team that made the discovery.

“The fossils that we found, however, are some 170 million years old,” from the
earlier Jurassic Period, Mr Pol said.